Ceramic spark arrester



May 27, 1952 J. P. RICHTARSIC CERAMIC SPARK ARRESTER Filed Jan. 22, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l QQQQQQQQQ? M2. WW

y 1952 J. P. RICHTARSIC 2,598,603

CERAMIC SPARK ARRESTER 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Jan. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. j- E/ise fizki/arqfa.

Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERAMIC SPARK ARRESTER Joseph P. Richtarsic, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application January 22, 1949, Serial No. 72,231

2 Claims. (Cl. 183-51) My invention relates to chimney caps and more particularly to screens, caps, and spark arresters for the tops of chimneys for incinerators, homes, apartment buildings, and relatively small industrial chimneys.

Spark arresters, caps and screens for the tops of chimneys are well known in the trade, or art, to which my invention relates, but the short useful life of such screens, spark arresters, etc., is a great annoyance and a considerable expense to the users. When the conventional prior art wire, or cast iron screen is used for an incinerator chimney, then it has been found, that, particularly in some regions, as near salt air and also in large industrial regions where steel mills contaminate the air, a spark arrester may have but one seasons use before it crumbles away in powder and flakes of a compound of the metal of which the spark arrester is made. In other regions the useful life is only a little better.

Some of the broad objects of my invention are the provision of chimney spark arresters of permanence, reliability, low cost, and artistic appeal.

Other objects of my invention are the provision of efficient and economical chimney tops that provide protection against the hazards of fire and which are made of ceramic material which neither rusts nor corrodes.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a chimney cap of a one-piece sleeve of firebrick in the shape of a screen with a lid for the sleeve of similar material and also in the form of a screen.

Another specific object of my invention is the provision of clay, or ceramic, chimney caps each including a portion that is a continuation of the firebrick type of liner for a chimney but perforated with many perforations and extending above the chimney brick work, and each such continuation being provided with a foraminous lid of firebrick and constructed to loosely interlock with the extension.

Another specific object of my invention is the provision of foraminous ceramic spark arresters for chimneys provided with means for catching the fiy-ash that may form at the chimney cap during use.

The recited objects are merely illustrative. Other objects and advantages willbecome more apparent from a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modification of my invention; I

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of what might be termed the more artistic types of spark arresters embodying my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of my invention provided with additional protective features for catching sparks and fly-ash.

Referring to Fig. l the sleeve I designates a ceramic member preferably of a firebrick type of construction. In the preferred construction this member, or sleeve, I is in length and horizontal sectional dimensions exactly like the usual flue liners put in chimneys.

This sleeve I is disposed in axial alignment with the top-most section of flue liner and thus forms a continuation of the liner. The disposition of the lower end of the sleeve I with reference to the chimney top 2 is such that it extends one inch to three inches below the top horizontal surface 3 of the top layer of bricks 4.

To firmly secure the sleeve I, having the square horizontal sectional dimension, into the chimney top, I use a suitable layer of mortar, or cement 5, on the top layer of bricks and in addition add the bead, or sloping filler layer, 6 next to the sleeve I and inner top edge of the top bricks.

The top edge of the sleeve I is provided with three rectangular notches I, 8 and 9. To make certain that sparks have no direct exit, I provide a ceramic lid IB- for the sleeve I. The lid is provided with the lugs, or rectangular projections I I, I2 and I3 tofit loosely into the notches 'I, 8 and 9, respectively. I thus select three points of support so that wind and storms do not effect an oscillation of the lid II! on the sleeve end, as would be the case if four supports were provided. If wind can cause tapping of the parts against each other, the lid II! and possibly the sleeve I, or both, may be broken.

To obtain a free flow of the smoke from the chimney, I provide the terra cotta, or clay, parts I and I 8 with the perforations shown. The number and size of the perforations, or holes is so chosen that the strength of the sleeve is not materially affected and the total sectional area is equal to, but preferably greater than, the sectional area of the flue liner.

In the showing in Fig. 2, the chimney 22 is provided with the cement covering 25 and bead 26 for holding the sleeve 2 l These elements are in construction and function exactly like the corresponding elements mentioned in connection with the discussion of Fig. 1, except that the upper end of the sleeve 2| is not provided with notches for receiving the lid 23. The lid 23 is depressed centrally at 24, thus having the general shape of a serving tray or may be provided with several downwardly projecting lugs adjacent the internal corners of the side walls. These lugs may be somewhat similar to the lugs 41 and 48 shown in Fig. 4. The sleeve 2| and lid 23 are provided with many circular openings to thus provide a spark arrester for the chimney 22.

In the-showing in Fig. 3, the sleeve 3 1, has the same general "construction as the sleeve shown in Figs; '1 and 2,' except that the front edge is slightly lower and the three remaining upper edges are provided with a groove 32 for receiving the rib 33 of the generally semi-cylindrical lid 34,.

The front edge of the lid 34 isprovided with the strengthening rib 35 having the special aperture 36 for receiving a ceramic plug to 'lock the lid 34 in position on the sleeve 3|. The sleeve 3| and lid 34 are provided with enough openings of an appropriate size that the total sectional area of theoperiings'i's greater than the sectional area'of'the' fi'u liner.

In theshowing' in Fig. 4, the chimney I32 holds tn 'sieye by 'means of the cement as and bead E5. 'rneglee e 41 'is'fhowever, cylindrical.

"The'uiiper edge of the sleeve 4| is provided with a strengthening rib 43 having an inwardly di'rectedj-overhan'ging lip. The lip is provided withtwe net-ants; as notches 44. These notches are so; 'disp ed-that the lugs 1 and it may be passed fr'ee h'rgugh the notches M."

lugs fil and 48 are "on the under inner edge of the dome-shaped perforated lid 49. When the lidfi'gfis'placedon the sleeve so that the lugs All and 4}]; page rreei through the notches 44, then mend-may be' 'n erely turned through a small anglers latch tli e lid on the sleeve 4 Tiithe showing in Fig; 5, the spark arrester screh' p'foper omprises an elongated sleeve-like screen nfpunte'd' on the chimney top and secured by pee -cement 55 andthe bead 56.

T? corid s eeve-BFs'urrOunds the first sleeve 5| so th "a onsi'de'fable space is provided between the 'two' sleeves? A' thirdretaining sleeve 1| is, for' alrnost'liallfithe length of the sleeve 6|, disposed about theltiwerpbrtion of sleeve 6| and is cemented tofit s'o thatsleeve 6| is firmlyheld on the'chininey top? Y The'slee'v's; GF and 1| are provided with registering-lope ngs l2 ahd 13' in' each face at the means ire'ctly above the cement 55/ Flyash tha-tflforms attheperforations of the sleeve 5| thus falls doii n in the space between the sleeves 5| and GI and may from time to time be removed,

, or cleaned out.

The sleeve 6| is provided with one or more rings of perforations as 62 and 63 directly above the end of sleeve 1| and in registry or preferably slightly below the lowest row of perforations in the sleeve 5|. The perforations 62 and 63 aid in giving the desired draft through the space between the sleeves so that the smoke from the chimney may pass freely from the sleeve 5| but nc"fiy-ash"gets"out of the space between the sleeves. ihe air in the space between the sleeves 5| and 6! while not at rest while the chimney is in useycirculates upon itself so much that the burning embers should anyget out of the sleeve 5| ,whichis only seldom, are arrested by sleeve 6|.

While I have shown and described but a few embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the particular showings made but wish to be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim. as my invention:

1. A spark arrester for the top of a chimney, comprising, in combination, a ceramic forami+ nous sleeve, in shape and length generally like the rectangular flue liner lengths in commonuse, having its bottom end cemented to the top of the chimney; a square ceramic'foraminous lid .for the top of the sleeve, said lid being provided with'lugs cooperating with the topv edge of the sleeve to interlock the lid and .top end of the sleeve to thus hold the lid in position on the sleeve.

21A spark ar'rester for the top of a chimney, comprising, in combination, a ceramic fo'raminous sleeve, square in sectional area and having generally the length of the flue liner lengths in common use, secured to" the top of the chimney, a" plurality of notches in the upper endof the sleeve, a foraminous ceramic generally sliuai'e lid for the sleevehavingliIgsadapted to be'd'isposed in 'said notches to retain the lid on the sleeve.

JOSEPH BJR ICHTARSIC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of'this'paitenti' "j UNITED STATESEATENTS Number Name.v Date 331,785. Gogerty' Dec. 8,1885 831,699 Balumgartner Septf25', 1906 8353,0191 Bice Oct. 9.11906 1,910,817 Slocum May 23,1933 

